From healing addiction to teaching the healers

Presented by Betty Ford Institute Medical Education Programs and Initiatives, a part of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation

It's Day One — Monday morning, 6:30 — and a medical student arrives. Stereotypical pictures of skid row running through her mind, she anxiously thinks, “What will I say to them? Are we graded in this program? This isn’t about sutures and bandages.”

“Lesson One is that there are no bandages,” said Joseph Skrajewski, MA, MFTI, and Director of Medical Education Programs and Initiatives at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, “the focus of the Summer Institute for Medical Students (SIMS) is on recovery as a process of openness and awareness.”

During the five days, each student works with a small group of five to nine patients or their families; they meet, share experiences and meals, and develop relationships. Lecture topics vary — from doctors who are recovering addicts to relapse prevention, stress therapy and the Children’s and Family Programs.

“The purpose of immersion training is to expand students’ understanding that addiction is a disease so that they know and believe it is treatable and begin to engage holistically in supporting the recovery process for patients and their families,” explained Skrajewski. “Despite statistics that over 10 percent of the population are diagnosed with Substance Use Disorder, treatment comprises between two and 12 hours of the medical school curriculum.”

The final lesson of the program is ongoing. “Regardless of the field these students choose, the point is that they find humanity in the work they do, and a passion for healing that they take back to their communities, schools, and local hospitals,” said Skrajewski.

“That passion to educate others in healing and recovery fuels the fire,” added Skrajewski. “In 29 years, we’ve served over 150 medical schools and 3,000 people and expanded to include programs for doctors and professionals like judges, attorneys, pharmacists, and nurses; medical school partnerships; and a new Fellowship program, accredited by the America Board of Addiction Medicine Foundation. Now with our recent merger to the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, we’ve expanded our ability to practice wellness and help addicts worldwide.”

The evidence is clear in a student’s words: “Connection, love, and letting go of secrets — I look forward to using the tools I’ve gained to treat patients with dignity and compassion.”